Big news in hospitality last year was the closure of Le Gavroche after 57 years of trading in London. Many professionals and loyal customers were shaken by the news and tributes to the legacy of the restaurant and its chef-patrons were splashed over the media for months. The closure was marked by a series of special events organised by Michel Roux Jnr for hospitality industry students, suppliers and charities.
Cumbria-based Steven Doherty, who worked at the three Michelin star restaurant for ten years, and as head chef for four of those, attended one of these special dinners. Having enjoyed a father-son relation with Albert Roux, Steven also hosted a special one-off ‘Gavroche’ dinner at the Brown Horse, in Winster.
Steven is no stranger to the award-winning pub as he was its chef-patron for a couple of years in the early 1990s. He brought all the knowledge and experience he had gained, first at The Savoy and then with the Roux brothers in London and Amsterdam, to Cumbria at a time when the national pub offering was either fish and chips or pie and chips.
The Brown Horse – with exotic dishes like chicken schnitzel, kebabs, hummus and bulgur – was seen as one of the first examples of a ‘gastro pub’ and attracted the attention of well-known critics and writers of the period such as Emily Green and Jonathan Meades (who waxed lyrical about the food in the daily and Sunday press). Albert Roux himself visited twice.
Knowing this close connection and having missed the tribute dinner, I asked Steven and his wife Marjorie to join me for a meal at this charming Georgian coaching inn.
Being at the periphery of the hospitality world and a relative newbie on the food scene, I am fascinated with the stories and connections of old-timers like Steven.
Marjorie too, having held front of house roles in the same establishments Steven headed, is an encyclopaedia of information and industry gossip. From time to time, I have had the good fortune of collaborating with them both in culinary events and I very much admire Steven’s involvement with food-related educational and charity work.
I hadn’t been to the Brown Horse for a while, and it was a lovely surprise to be greeted by Helen whom we knew from her many years at the Masons Arms at Strawberry Bank. I find unexpectedly meeting people you know so heart-warming and very reminiscent of my Cretan home.
We started with some nibbles; the chicken tikka bhajis, crab fritters and halloumi fries were perfectly cooked, crispy, light, beautifully golden and delicious. I am generally not a halloumi fan as I find it too rubbery and salty at times but that was of excellent quality and just savoury enough, perfectly balanced with the sweetness, heat and acidity of the accompanying sweet chilli mayonnaise.
When Marjorie’s chicken burger arrived I thought it was a thing of beauty – which is a testament to the chef’s presentation skills considering the majority of the elements on the plate were beige. I think Marjorie panicked a little with the amount on her plate but I soon offered to sacrifice myself by tucking into her onion rings.
For photography purposes, I was slightly disappointed when John said that all he wanted was a light bite, but he loved his bacon, brie and cranberry sandwich, raving about the lightness of his ciabatta and the freshness of the salad that accompanied it.
I was pleased to note that this is a place to come after a long walk for a glass of cool beer and a good sandwich. Not as commonly found as one might think.
Steven was delighted with the lemon and thyme monkfish tails, crushed peas with tartar sour cream and we all agreed that the potato terrine chips were a thing of beauty.
The harissa-roasted cauliflower instantly reminded me of the joyful moments I recently enjoyed in Morocco, and it absolutely lived up to my expectations. The cauliflower was cooked to perfection, tender yet retaining a delightful crunch, and its flavour was beautifully complemented by the crispy almonds, tangy pomegranate and sweet mango puree. Despite being selected from the starters menu, it left me completely satisfied.
We collectively only had room for a couple of desserts: delicious raspberry Eton Mess and the dark chocolate mousse, morello cherries, caramelised hazelnuts and cherry sorbet.
It was a real joy while nibbling them to have the opportunity to chat with chef-patron Shaun Edmondson.
Shaun, together with his brother Craig, took over the pub five years ago from dad Steve who had already run it for ten years. It quickly became apparent that both brothers have a strong work ethic and their personal involvement and commitment helps at a time when most hospitality businesses are plagued with staff shortages. Just a few days before our visit, they had fed 400 people in a single day which is quite an achievement for a kitchen team of just five.
It is always nice to hear that ingredients are sourced as locally as possible and I was particularly excited by the fact that, when on the menu, game comes from the immediate area of the pub. We all agreed that we would return in early autumn for a good grouse.
The Brown Horse, Winster, near Windermere LA23 3NR
thebrownhorseinn.co.uk
015394 43443
